A team leader spoke with a confident expression, his words bordering on arrogance. Felix listened to what he said, calmly remaining silent without offering any rebuttal.
He quietly awaited the commander's response.
"Although the forces we've deployed this time amount to nearly one-sixth of our military strength, we must always maintain the mindset of a novice in war.
Do not become complacent just because we have advantages in individual combat capabilities and equipment. Your attitude is problematic, and I do not want to hear it again."
A stern reprimand echoed through the communications channel.
Chastised by the commander, the previously vocal team leader fell silent, no longer daring to repeat his confident and somewhat arrogant remarks.
Seeing that no one else spoke, the commander continued with the necessary arrangements and explanations through the comms.
Over an hour later,
With all points addressed, the video conference concluded.
As soon as it ended, Felix briefed Phipps and Miles on the meeting's content before retiring to his room to rest.
The warship continued its journey through space. After another hour or so, the assembled ZAFT forces began to disperse according to the pre-battle arrangements.
Felix's team moved to the left flank of Yggdrasil, accompanied by two other squads.
In the Sebastian's Mobile Suit Pilot ready room
Six Mobile Suit Pilots, including Felix, rested and waited on standby.
While waiting, Felix checked the time and issued an order.
"Everyone, enter your Mobile Suit cockpits and standby!"
Upon his command, Felix picked up his helmet first and headed for the door. Heine followed closely behind him, with the others trailing after Heine toward the exit.
Exiting the ready room, they took the elevator down to the hangar. Seeing the Mobile Suits stationed there, each person moved toward their own unit.
Entering the cockpit of his GINN, Felix promptly closed the hatch. He activated the GINN, setting it to standby mode.
In the hangar
The maintenance crew, upon seeing all the Mobile Suit Pilots enter their GINN cockpits, began preparations for launch.
The hanger rack carrying Felix's white-painted GINN moved toward the starting position of the electromagnetic catapult. Once at the launch point, the rack released the Mobile Suit.
The catapult on the launch rail locked onto the Mobile Suit's feet.
The equipment maintenance systems commenced weapon configuration.
A Heavy Assault Machine Gun and two Heavy Swords were equipped onto Felix's GINN.
Behind this Mobile Suit, other GINNs entered the standby area, awaiting their turn.
Time passed minute by minute, and before long, another half hour had gone by.
Aric's voice came through the communications.
"Captain, we've reached the deployment point!"
"Begin deployment!"
Felix, who had regained his composure during the break, issued the order to Aric.
Upon receiving the command, Aric began execution.
The front hatch of the hangar opened as the electromagnetic catapult extended forward.
Gazing at the cosmic scenery outside, Felix gripped the control stick, pressed down on the pedals, and adjusted the throttle.
The GINN's main thrusters activated.
"Ready for launch! Requesting permission to sortie!"
"Sortie approved!"
The communications officer's response came through, and Felix pushed the throttle forward.
The GINN's main thrusters increased power.
"Felix Leo Griffith, launching!"
A brief yet powerful declaration left Felix's lips as the catapult and thrusters combined to propel the GINN forward at tremendous speed.
After Felix's white GINN launched, the standby GINNs moved to the equipment maintenance facility for armament installation before following in quick succession.
In this continuous operation, six GINNs surged out from the hangar.
They formed a formation in space with Felix at the center.
GINNs from two other warships also launched at this time, joining Felix's formation under the leadership of Phipps and Miles.
Once the formation was complete, Felix piloted his GINN in a rapid advance, with the other MS units following the white GINN's lead.
The warships coordinated their movements with the GINNs.
Meanwhile, at the Earth Alliance's Yggdrasil defense line:
"Commander, ZAFT forces have appeared approximately 300 kilometers from our defense line."
"Order the warships to commence attack! Mobile Armors stand ready!"
The commander issued the command upon hearing the report.
Along the defense line:
Warship captains received the commander's order and immediately began firing.
In an instant, missiles launched from their tubes surged forward while beams and electromagnetic rounds filled the cosmic space ahead.
On ZAFT's side:
Felix led his team to merge with other units. After brief communication with other squad leaders, they advanced toward the battlefield together.
"Our primary mission in this operation, beyond engaging the Earth Alliance, capturing or destroying Yggdrasil, is to escort the warship carrying the Neutron Jammer to the front lines.
Before deploying the Neutron Jammer, we must ensure the carrier warship remains undamaged."
Felix reiterated this to his subordinates over communications while piloting his MS forward.
After his words, responses came through the comms.
"Understood!"
Following this acknowledgment, Heine asked over communications:
"Captain, if the Earth Alliance doesn't use nuclear weapons, wouldn't this test potentially be for nothing?"
"Not all currently active Earth Alliance warships have been refitted with nuclear fusion reactors. Some older vessels still use nuclear fission reactors.
We'll be able to verify the Neutron Jammer's effectiveness simply by observing the status of those ships!"
"As Yggdrasil serves as the Earth Alliance Forces' bridgehead to the Moon, its importance goes without saying. They dared to use nuclear weapons against our PLANT—would they hesitate to use them here?"
Under Heine's questioning, Felix calmly replied to him. Hearing this, Heine stopped asking and quietly piloted his MS within the formation.
After advancing peacefully for over ten kilometers, attacks from the Earth Alliance Forces' warships began to strike.
Seeing the beams, Felix and the others had no means to intercept them and could only rely on the warship's evasion capabilities and self-defense systems.
Following the beams came projectiles fired from electromagnetic railguns.
Felix observed this through his screen and radar, raising the Heavy Assault Machine Gun in his white GINN's hands.
His finger pulled the trigger, and bullets erupted from the muzzle!